Why does my gum hurt years after wisdom tooth removal?

After wisdom tooth removal, everything should be back to normal. Swelling and pain should gradually decrease, and your gums will return to their normal appearance within a few weeks.

If the pain persists longer than expected, talk to your dentist, as this may be a sign of a complication. Other times, it may be due to other conditions unrelated to the procedure itself.

Pain that lasts for months or years, or that comes and goes periodically, is referred to as chronic, and we'll look at the reasons behind this.

Potential causes of pain years after wisdom teeth removal

Pain that lasts or suddenly appears years after a wisdom tooth extraction can have different meanings.

It is not necessarily related to the extraction procedure. Certain dental conditions such as gum disease, apical periodontitis, and pulpitis affecting nearby teeth can cause pain to spread throughout the face and jaws, including the extraction site.

Less commonly, a nerve that controls sensation may have been damaged during the procedure, resulting in a long-term tingling or burning sensation.

Here are 7 potential causes of pain years after wisdom teeth removal:

1. Cavities or infections of neighboring teeth

Cavities affect the hard tissues of the teeth, including the enamel (the outermost layer), and the underlying dentin. If left untreated, cavities will continue to progress toward the pulp where the nerves and blood vessels of the tooth are located.

Once bacteria are inside the pulp, they grow and thrive, triggering an infection and resulting in a painful condition known as pulpitis. Pulpitis can cause an intense, throbbing toothache that can keep you awake at night.

The discomfort may extend to nearby teeth, jaws, temporomandibular joints, and even the ear, making it sometimes difficult to pinpoint the exact source of the pain.

So the pain you feel in one area of your mouth may actually be arising from another tooth infection that needs to be treated.

2. Gum disease

Gum disease includes conditions such as gingivitis and periodontitis, which are inflammatory conditions caused by “bad” bacteria.

When plaque accumulates along the gum line, bacteria flourish and damage the tissues surrounding the tooth.

Teeth at the back of the mouth are particularly vulnerable, as they are harder to reach and clean with a toothbrush. So, plaque is more likely to accumulate there.

As a result, the gums and bone that hold the teeth in place gradually shrink and pull away, causing sensitivity. At an advanced stage, tooth loss becomes a real threat.

Symptoms of gum disease include:

• Redness and swelling of the gums.
• Bleeding when you eat or brush your teeth.
• Gum and tooth sensitivity.
• Gum recession and tooth loosening.
• Pus discharge around the teeth.
• Bad breath.
• Teeth shifting leading to an improper bite.

Treating gum disease starts by removing all the underlying causes. This can be achieved by a good oral hygiene (regular brushing and flossing) and professional dental cleaning to remove plaque and tartar, the main culprits behind gingivitis and periodontitis.

Your dentist may also recommend mouthwash and antibiotics, which are chemical ways to completely eradicate the infection and remaining bacteria.

3. Something may be stuck in your gum

Sometimes, pain and swelling in your gum can be caused by a foreign body stuck in there.

Have you eaten anything crunchy or hard lately, like popcorn or chips? If so, it's possible that a piece got stuck in your gum and is causing the discomfort.

You may notice that the gums in the area are red and swollen, and even some pus coming out of it.

4. Muscle and joint pain

Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD) are frequent causes of facial and oral pain. These disorders affect the chewing muscles and joints that connect the lower jaw to the skull.

TMDs can cause pain that extends to the jaws and teeth area. Sometimes, patients feel as if they have a toothache rather than muscle or joint problems.

Symptoms may include:

• Pain or tenderness in the jaw, face, neck or around the ears.
• Difficulty opening or closing the mouth.
• Increased pain when chewing.
• Morning headaches, especially if you grind your teeth at night.

5. A nerve may have been damaged during the procedure

Nerve damage during wisdom tooth removal is uncommon. Even if it occurs, it's typically a temporary issue that resolves on its own within a few weeks or months.

During the extraction procedure, there's a small risk that a nerve may get accidentally injured or, in rare cases, severed.

This complication is more frequent with lower wisdom teeth, as they often lie close to key nerves that provide sensation to various areas of the face and mouth, including the teeth, gums, chin, tongue, and lower cheeks.

Nerve injuries during the procedure may present as long-lasting tingling or numbness (paresthesia), pain and burning sensation (allodynia), or complete loss of sensation (anesthesia).

In most cases, these sensory disturbances resolve within the initial 6 months post-procedure. However, if symptoms persist or show no improvement after 24 months, there is a strong chance that the damage is permanent.

6. Jaw cyst

Cysts are fluid-filled sacs that can develop in different parts of the body. They usually grow slowly and often don’t cause any symptoms for years—or even decades.

Jaw cysts are relatively uncommon, but when they do appear, they’re most often linked to teeth. Impacted wisdom teeth (those that remain trapped in the jawbone) are one of the most frequent causes of these cystic lesions.



If a cyst formed around your wisdom tooth and wasn’t completely removed during the extraction, it might still be there—and could continue to grow over time.

Most jaw cysts develop silently, without causing any symptoms. You might not notice anything until the cyst becomes large or gets infected, which can take years. When that happens, the gum can become red, swollen, and may release a yellowish fluid.

As the cyst grows, it can also create pressure in your jaw or cause a dull, widespread discomfort in nearby teeth.

7. Atypical odontalgia

Atypical odontalgia (AO), also known as phantom tooth pain, is a rare and mysterious dental condition with no clearly known cause. It affects between 0.03% and 1% of people, mostly women over the age of 40.

AO is defined as ongoing pain in one or more teeth, or in areas where teeth were extracted, without any visible problem or identifiable reason.

In about 83% of cases, it starts after a dental procedure like a tooth extraction or root canal. The affected area often looks perfectly healthy, which can be confusing for both you and your dentist.

The pain is usually described as burning, aching, or throbbing. It doesn’t respond to regular painkillers, though in most cases, the discomfort stays mild and doesn’t interfere too much with your daily life.

The exact cause of AO isn’t clear, but many researchers believe it’s related to nerve dysfunction. Because of the confusion it creates, people with AO sometimes undergo unnecessary dental treatments—which unfortunately can make the pain worse.

Treatment focuses on relieving symptoms, particularly pain, with medications and therapies that slow down the processing of pain by the brain.